The London Fire Department has a simple request for residents who have a fire hydrant on or near their properties – to make sure they are not buried under snow.
With the large snowfall and heavy drifting that has taken place through our region, officials say many hydrants have been covered over, making them difficult to see. London Fire Department Public Information Coordinator Rick Jefferson tells AM980 that easy access to hydrants could be the difference between life and death.
“Fire engines carry a certain amount of water on them, it’s enough to last less than a minute when they first arrive at a fire scene, so the time that they spend as soon as they get on the scene is spent very hurriedly trying to hook up to a fire hydrant. If that thing is not readily visible, and this could be in the middle of the night compounding things, then we definitely could have a delay in fighting the fire and that’s something we never want to experience.”
Jefferson says they have maps that show approximate locations for hydrants, but fire crews still have to spend precious seconds digging them out if they’re not already visible. He says they’re asking everyone to clear the area surrounding their hydrants, or contact the department at 519-661-4565 if they’re not able to do it themselves.
Source: Fire Officials Remind Residents to Clear Snow from Fire Hydrants | (CFPL AM) AM 980
